Colorado

Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner picked to head National Republican Senatorial Committee

DENVER – Colorado’s junior Senator, Cory Gardner, was picked to serve as a high-ranking member of the Republican leadership team in the U.S. Senate Wednesday morning.

Gardner was elected to be the new National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman and will replace Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker as the chairman.

The committee aims to increase the Republican majority in the Senate through fundraising and other campaigning, so Gardner will be in charge of providing support and planning to Republicans running for re-election or trying to be elected to a seat in the Senate.

“I am excited about this expanded opportunity to serve Coloradans and make their voice heard on a larger stage. I am honored to have the confidence of the other Republican Senators to take on this leadership role and I won’t let them down,” Sen. Gardner said in a news release.

Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell will serve as Senate Republican leader; Texas Sen. John Cornyn will be Senate Republican whip; South Dakota Sen. John Thune will serve as Senate Republican Conference chairman; Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso will be Senate Republican Policy Committee chairman and Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt will serve as Senate Republican Conference vice chairman.

On the Democrat’s side, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer was elected to be Minority Leader, replacing Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, who is retiring. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin will be Minority whip and Washington Sen. Patty Murray will be assistant leader.

In the House, current Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi says she will seek re-election to the job.

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Mystery flight circles over Denver; officials have few answers

(I compiled all the research for this story, which was written primarily by Mark Belcher.)

UPDATE | For the update published on this article, click here.

DENVER — Thousands saw a plane circling the Denver metro area late Wednesday morning, questioning where it may have come from and what it may be doing. Officials at a host of federal organizations had few answers.

Denver7 began tracking a flight named IRON99 as it traversed from California over the pacific. It traveled over the Rocky Mountains and eventually over the Denver metro area. Continue reading

Transgender woman’s car vandalized with hate speech, pro-Trump message in Denver’s Capitol Hill

DENVER — A transgender woman says she woke up to find her car vandalized with hate speech, a swastika and a pro-Donald Trump message in Denver’s Capitol Hill Wednesday morning, and police are now investigating.

Amber Timmons posted photos of the hate speech spray-painted on her car Wednesday morning to Facebook. Continue reading

Denver social marijuana use ordinance appears headed for victory with new voter result numbers

DENVER – The group backing Denver’s public-use marijuana initiative declared victory Monday night, and Tuesday’s updated voting returns in the city show votes in favor of the measure appear to have won.

Though votes will not be confirmed and finalized until Nov. 22, updated numbers from Tuesday morning show an extra 10,000 votes in favor of Initiated Ordinance 300 were counted overnight, compared to another 7,500 against the measure.

As of Monday night, proponents of 300 held a 53 percent to 47 percent lead. But by Tuesday morning, that lead had grown to 53.3 percent in favor and 46.7 against.

If approved by voters, the ordinance would allow regular businesses to seek approval by a neighborhood or business association to create marijuana “consumption areas” both inside and outside.

Any indoor consumption area would allow only “vaping” or edible consumption of pot. People would be able to smoke leaf marijuana outside at certain approved businesses as long as those outdoor consumption areas are out of public view.

Read: Full text of Initiated Ordinance 300

Another stipulation of the ordinance is people would have to bring their own supply; businesses would not be able to provide the marijuana unless they are already permitted to do so.

The approval of the measure would be another victory for groups that have argued that though marijuana is legal, the law makes it difficult for many people to use said marijuana legally.

Though some cities in Colorado have designated private clubs where people can use marijuana either at locations or on tour busses, Denver’s ordinance would be the first to set up non-private consumption areas.

Any business wishing to establish a consumption area would have to get approval from a registered neighborhood organization, business improvement district or recognized neighborhood organization as well as a letter of community support or non-opposition to the proposed permit.

There are a slew of rules the business would then have to comply with, including submitted detailed plans for the consumption are or areas, clear signage, an agreement with taxis or ride-sharing services to get people home, training for employees, and strict ventilation and odor control rules, among others.

Public opponents of the ordinance had argued that it could lead to more instances of people driving under the influence or open children up to exposure to marijuana, though proponents of the measure argue all of those concerns are addressed in the ordinance’s language.

“We are truly grateful to the people of Denver for approving this sensible measure to allow social cannabis use in the city. This is a victory for cannabis consumers who, like alcohol consumers, simply want the option to enjoy cannabis in social settings,” said Kayvan S.T. Khalatbari, the lead proponent of I-300, in a statement Monday. “It is also a victory for the city of Denver, its diverse neighborhoods and those who don’t consume cannabis, as it will reduce the likelihood that adults will resort to consuming in public.”

More than 15,000 ballots are left to be counted in Denver, though it would take a seemingly-impossible run by “no” votes at this point for I-300 to fail.

Should it pass, the Denver City Council will have to create a task force that will study the impact of the new permits, which would report back to the council in two years.

The ordinance will remain on the books until Dec. 31, 2020, or earlier should the city pass “comprehensive regulations” that “further the intent” of the ordinance, according to its language.

The opposition group conceded it had lost Tuesday, though elections officials said the vote was not finalized.

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Colorado man deported back to U.S. after caught sneaking into Russia illegally

DENVER – Russia deported a Colorado man in recent days who was accused of illegally entering the country through its southern border while looking for a “better life,” according to reports.

The Washington Post was the first American news outlet to report on the arrest and deportation of Julio Prieto, whom The Post says is an insurance salesman, though Denver7 has not been able to verify he is registered as an insurance agent in Colorado.

Court records show his two most-recent addresses were in Englewood and in Monte Vista, located in Rio Grande County in southern Colorado.

The Post’s report was based off reports from Russian media, including the English-language Siberian Times.

According to reports, Prieto tried to enter Russia legally from Kazakhstan but was denied entry to the country because he didn’t have a visa. But he tried to sneak over the border on Sept. 14 and was caught by border agents near Karasuk.

Russian media reports Prieto told prosecutors he was “looking for a better life” and was seeking work in Siberia.

Court records show Prieto pleaded guilty to a 2010 federal charge of conspiracy to distribute marijuana, to wit, in Las Cruces, New Mexico and was sentenced to three years of supervised probation beginning in January 2011. He and another man were bringing marijuana back from Mexico – Prieto’s birthplace – to Colorado.

He was required to complete a six-month home-monitoring program and was affixed with an ankle monitor to monitor his curfew. The judge also required him to complete a substance abuse treatment program and DWI school, and was barred from using alcohol or other substances.

But he was arrested for DUI in Arapahoe County in January 2012, after which his probation was transferred to Colorado while his DUI case was pending.

But Prieto’s trouble didn’t end there. He was arrested for a series of traffic infractions in Jefferson County in January 2013, then arrested in May 2013 on theft charges and traffic infractions in Aurora.

His probation officer had to contact him and ask about the new charges, and though he was required to report to the probation office the next day, he never showed up.

After not showing up to the office for another scheduled meeting, Prieto eventually showed, but admitted to using marijuana – another violation of his probation.

After that meeting, a judge decided that Prieto needed “more guidance, structure and a consequence for his actions,” and his supervised probation was modified to send him to a Denver residential re-entry program for six months.

It was extended at the end of 2013 pending the outcome of his new cases in Colorado.

It’s unclear exactly what transpired with Prieto in the several years afterward, but he ended up in the Urals in September.

The Siberian Times says Prieto was jailed for six weeks as he awaited a court hearing. He pleaded guilty to illegally entering Russia and could have faced up to two years in prison.

But he was fined the Russian equivalent of $105 instead, which was later reduced to a 2,000-ruble fine (approximately $30).

The Post reports Prieto was deported Monday and flown back to New York on the Russian government’s dime.

The Post reports the Tass news agency says Prieto is disappointed at his experience.

“He had been hoping for Russian hospitality, but he failed to get it and was deeply disappointed,” an official is quoted as saying.

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DA: Man won’t face charges in shooting death of 17-year-old who allegedly burglarized home

ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. – Adams County prosecutors won’t charge a man arrested for a September shooting that killed a teenager.

Levi Sisneros, 33, had faced investigation on first-degree murder charges in the shooting, which killed a 17-year-old boy, identified as Alfredo Chavez.

The boy was suspected of burglarizing the home near 76th and Pecos in early September. Chavez was shot in the back, according to the Adams County coroner.

The Adams County District Attorney’s Office said that it could not disprove Sisneros’ argument that he had shot Chavez in self-defense after Chavez and three others allegedly broke into his home to steal his legally-grown marijuana.

Chavez’s mother tells the Denver Post she plans to file a civil lawsuit against Sisneros.

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Police say Grand Junction man shot, killed by officers pinned one to wall with car before shooting

MESA COUNTY, Colo. – The Grand Junction Police Department identified the person killed in an officer-involved shooting that happened just after midnight Friday as a 24-year-old man.

The police department identified said Brian Gaither, 24, of Grand Junction, was killed by Grand Junction Officer Jacob Steele.

Police said Friday they received a call there was a suspicious vehicle near South Ninth Street and Pitkin Avenue. The officer who called in the suspicious vehicle said they believed they knew who the suspect was.

Police say Gaither had two warrants for his arrest when the shooting occurred – one for a parole violation and one stemming from a Nov. 7 traffic stop he allegedly fled. In that stop, police said they saw a weapon in his vehicle; it’s illegal for convicted felons to possess a gun.

A warrant had been obtained for his arrest stemming from that traffic stop on possession of a weapon by a previous offender, obstructing a peace officer and reckless driving charges.

Officer Steele called in backup shortly after calling in the suspicious vehicle, and called out that shots had been fired shortly afterward, police said.

When backup arrived, they found Steele pinned between Gaither’s vehicle and a building wall, and Gaither dead in the driver’s seat of the vehicle.

Grand Junction police said they had to break out a window in order to free Steele. He was taken to a hospital for a leg injury, but has since been released.

Steele started with the department in 2008 and officially became an officer in 2010. He is an instructor for de-escalation and defensive techniques, according to the police department.

He remains on standard administrative leave during the ongoing internal investigation.

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Last of three suspects in deadly shooting of 61-year-old man pleads guilty

DENVER – A jury convicted the third man implicated in the deadly May 2015 shooting of a 61-year-old man, the Denver District Attorney announced Monday.

The jury found Derek Webb, 29, guilty of two counts of felony murder, one count of burglary and one count of aggravated robbery after two days of deliberation.

Webb and two other men – Chad Baluska and Eric Fuhs – had been accused of shooting and killing 61-year-old Samuel Grady in May 2015, then stealing his wallet and truck.

Baluska pleaded guilty to second-degree murder earlier this year, and Fuhs, who was a nephew of Grady’s, was found guilty of first-degree murder, burglary and aggravated robbery charges.

Fuhs was sentenced to life in prison without parole in October, and Baluska is set to be sentenced Jan. 6.

Webb is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 16. He faces up to life in prison without parole at his sentencing.

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FBI: Hate crimes against Muslims up by 67 percent in 2015

DENVER – The number of hate crimes reported to police increased by 6.7 percent in 2015 and included a large spike in crimes against Muslims.

Nearly 15,000 law enforcement agencies across the county report hate crime statistics each year. Of those involved in the program, 1,742 reported 5,850 separate hate crime incidents last year. Continue reading

Ballots still being counted in Colorado; Denver’s Initiated Ordinance 300 still too close to call

DENVER – The city ballot measure that will decide if Denver businesses will be able to designate certain places for people to smoke marijuana in public is perhaps Colorado’s biggest measure that still remains undecided days after the General Election.

As of Thursday night, Initiated Ordinance 300 had 121,193 “yes” votes, compared to 113,579 “no” votes. The city says it still has 90,000 ballots to count, which could still swing the vote in favor of those against the proposed ordinance.

Though ballot counting had been delayed in Pueblo County, voters rejected Question 200, which would have shut down the county’s existing pot businesses.

The statewide Amendment T ballot measure also remains too close to call, as the “yes” and “no” votes are currently separated by about 1 percent of the total vote.

As of Thursday morning, 2.85 million ballots had been counted in Colorado, though several counties are still counting, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

When compared to the 3.84 million active and inactive registered voters in Colorado, tentative voter turnout at the moment sits at 74.3 percent, though those numbers will change.

The election and final numbers will not be certified for at least another week; Nov. 22 is the final day for verification of provisional ballots and the day Denver will have certified results.

The Secretary of State will have until Dec. 8 to compile total returns from the various counties in Colorado.

The Elections Division of the Denver Clerk and Recorder’s Office says city results will be updated again Saturday evening. Most state offices were closed Friday to commemorate Veterans Day.

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